Ashtray having resilient closures



June 30, 1970 w KQLLER ASHTRAY HAVING RESILIENT CLOSURES Fild Nov. 7.1968 //l/l/I/l/I/I/l/l//l/V/l//I///l Jnrenlor: WHLTER KOLLER ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent Offi ce 3,5l7 ,851 Patented June 30, 1970 3,517,851ASHTRAY HAVIN G RESILIENT CLOSURES Walter Koller, Hagenbeckstrasse 9,Hamburg, Germany Filed Nov. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 774,128 Claims priority,applicatign 9(e7'many, Nov. 24, 1967 3 U.S. Cl. 220-205 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE An ashtray comprises swivelling closing flaps mountedon top of the opening of the ashtray receptacle. The flaps are made of aresilient material and are biased towards the closed position of theashtray. The flaps may be swivelled into the opened position by applyingfingerpressure onto their upper extensions, and may be easily removedfrom the receptacle.

Description of the invention This invention relates to ashtrays havingswivelling closing flaps mounted on top of the opening of the ashtrayreceptacle.

In prior art ashtrays of this general type, the flaps may be moved outof the closed position into an opened position by depressing a button ora key provided on the ashtray. As soon as this button or key isreleased, the flaps will swivel back into the closed position. Theswivelling movement of the flaps back into the closed position isusually efiected either by a suitable spring or is due to the fact thatthe flaps are weight-biased towards the closed position. A drawback withthese prior art types of ashtrays is that for controlling the flaps aplurality of movable parts such as gears or a lever mechanism or evenadditional spring means are required.

In another well-known type of ashtray the flaps are weight-biasedtowards the opened position and may be brought into the closed positionby an outer casing which is slidingly mounted. The drawback of such anarrangement is that, in addition to the receptacle and the flaps, aslidingly movable outer casing is required which, in turn, necessitatesspecial looking means between the outer casing and the receptacle.

A further type of ashtray of the prior art automatically opens whenlifted and closes when put down on a table or a supporting surface. Inthis case, closing of the flaps is eifected by a cone movably mounted ona shaft which will be displaced axially when the ashtray is put down ona surface, thereby pushing the cone towards the opening. A shortcomingof this arrangement is that the entire ashtray must be lifted ofi thetable or supporting surface in order to open the flaps of the ashtray. r

A still further type of ash-trays of the prior art comprises two shellhalves which are arranged in such a manner that one of the shell halvestips over if the ashtray as a whole is brought into an inclined positionwith respect to the horizontal. Because of this, the ashtray must beremoved from the supporting surface and brought into an inclinedposition or the ashtray must be Suspended and the suspension means mustbe brought into an inclined position if it is desired to empty one ofthe shell halves.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved ashtray having swivelling closing flaps mounted on top of theopening of the ashtray receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved ashtrayof the aforementioned type which is of a simplified design consisting ofonly a receptacle and two flaps and no additional parts.

According to the present invention an ashtray is provided which ischaracterized in that the flaps are made of a resilient material andeach flap comprises an operating flange adjacent and connected to aclosing portion, a bent portion adapted to serve as a socket and arelatively long leg portion having the function of a return spring, eachflap being adapted to interact with abutment means, pivotal edgesthereon and ledges provided within the receptacle, this interactionbeing eected in such a manner that each flap is biased towards theclosed position and said closing portions will be resiliently urged intoengagement with said abutment means, and in that said Operating flangesand said closing portions, upon actuation, may be swivelled around thepivotal edges into the opened position, against the resilient resistanceof said leg portions, and may, after release of said operating flange,likewise be swivelled back into the closed position by means of said legportions which act as return springs. The stroke, i.e. the swivellingmovement which may be etfected by said Operating flange is limited by anabutment means.

A preferred embodment of the present invention will now be describedwith particular reference to the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken away perspective overall view of an ashtrayaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the ashtray of FIG. l,actuated into the opened position, and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ashtray of FIG. l wheninserting or removing a flap.

With reference to the drawings, the ashtray of the invention consists ofa receptacle 1 having two opposing inside walls which are each at theirupper ends provided with a V-shaped abutment means 2. The leg portionsof these abutment means consist of two angle portions shaped in the formof acute angles whereby the two legs of each acute angle point towardsthe middle portions of the opposing side walls, providing four pivotaledges 3 having predetermined distances from sidewalls 4 and ledges 5which are provided on these sidewalls 4 of the receptacle 1. Each flap 6will be positively retained in the closed position between ledge 5,pivotal edges 3, sidewall 4 and abutment means 2 by means of itsresiliency. Each flap '6 includes a closing portion 7 which in theclosed position resiliently and closely engages the abutment means 2.Each flap 6 further includes an Operating flange 8 having a U-shapedconfiguration. The flange 8 forms an obtuse angle with the closingportion 7 and extends towards the edge of the receptacle. The angularportions 9 arranged *between the Operating flanges 8 and the closingportions 7 serve as sockets or bearings for the pivotal edges 3 andrepresent the swivel axes. The upper ends of the two sidewalls 4 areeach provided with a recess 11 giving access to the Operating flange 8for Operating the same. When it is desired to swivel the closingportions 7 into the opened position, two fingers may be employed to urgethe Operating flanges 8 towards each other until these flanges come intoengagement with the abutment surfaces 12. At the same time, therelatively rigid angular portion 9 which comprises the short legportions of the Operating flange 8 and of the closing portion 7 swivelsaround the pivotal edges 3 into the opened position and each flap willbe displaced angularly by an angle a which normally extends between anOperating flange '8 and one of the abutment surfaces 12. The remainingangle B which is the angle formed between the closing portion of theflap in its opened position and a vertical extending through one of thepivotal edges 3 will be designed large enough to ensure proper seatingof the socket on the pivotal edges when the Operating ange is actuated.Upon actuation, the longer leg portion 13 of the Operating fiange 8 willbe resiliently deformed around the outer side of the angular portion 9.Upon release of the Operating flange the longer leg portion Will act asa return spring swivelling the closing portion and the operating flangeback into their respective initial positions which correspond to theclosed condition of the ashtray.

For emptying and/or cleaning the receptacle the fiaps may be removedindividually :by depressing each one of the closing portions 7 of thefiap until the closing portion engages the associated leg portion 13whereupon the whole fiap may be pulled out from its seat betweensidewalls 4 and pivotal edges 3. The flaps may be inserted by simplyreversing this procedure.

As may be seen, although an ashtray having swivelling closing flaps and-being designed in accordance with the teachings of this invention is ofa considerably simplified constructional design and may be manufacturedat a relatively low cost, all of the conveniences of other comparabledevices may be obtained. Because of its Simplicity, the ashtray may `becleaned easily and, additionally, does not need any maintenance due tothe absence of any sliding fittings or hearings which could becomeclogged.

While the above description has shown the fundamental novel features ofthe invention as applied to one preferred embodiment, it will beunderstood that various changes or substitutions in the form and detailsof the ashtray illustrated may `be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Ashtray having swivelling closing flaps mounted on top of the openingof a receptacle, characterized in that each fiap is made of a resilientmaterial and comprises an Operating flange adjacent and connected to aclosing portion and a -bent portion adapted to serve as a socket and toa relatively long leg portion having the function of a return spring,each fiap being adapted to interact with abutment means, pivotal edegsthereon and ledges provided within the receptacle, this interactionbeing effected in such a manner that each fiap is biased towards theclosed position and said closing portions will be 'esiliently urged intoengagement with said abutment means, and in that said Operating flangesand said closing portions, upon actuation of the Operating flange, maybe swivelled around the pivotal edges into the opened position againstthe resilient resistance of said leg portions and may, after release ofsaid Operating flange, likewise be swivelled back into' the closedposition by means of said leg portions which act as return springs.

2. .Ashtray as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the s-wivellingmovement which may be efiected by said Operating flange is limited by anabutment means.

3. Ashtray as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said closingportion of each fiap, when removing or insertng said fiap, may 'be moveddownwardly towards said long leg portion, the eXtent of downwardmovement which nay be effected being sutficient for the fiap to pass anappropriate gap provided between the edges and the adjacent sidewall ofthe receptacle.

4. Ashtray as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the upper ends ofsaid sidewalls are provided with a recess, said recess extendingdownwardly from the upper side of said receptacle for a distance whichis smaller than the distance of said pivotal edge of the abutment meansfrom said upper edge of said receptacle.

5. Ashtray as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the upper edgesof said Operating fianges are normally positioned just below the upperedge of said receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examineri U.S. c. X.R. 22o 29

